Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A Bloody Nurse and a Prissy Peacock surprised Dempsey on Halloween and thankfully he had candy corn on hand to satisfy their sweet tooth. We think Dempsey should have dressed up like a hummingbird….maybe next year.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

We had to make this photograph at Fall Open House of Patti, Helena, and Dempsey who each seemed to compliment the other. We really never know what Helena will turn up wearing and are always pleasantly surprised.

Congratulations to Zelda Nichols of Southmont, the door prize winner of our 3 day Open House. Zelda won a wreath, coordinating mail wrap, stain glass decal, and hummingbird sign, as well as an Essick small framed print and matching ornament. Zelda took the wrong exit and ended up at our event quite by accident but we think it was just meant to be.

Audrey Edwards came in not to buy our most popular scarf but wearing it. This animal print accessory comes in browns, blacks, blues and greens. It is lightweight, airy and you are guaranteed to love it best. “When I open the drawer, this is the scarf I reach for. I wear mine all the time.” ($13.50)

Saturday, October 20, 2012

When Dama Potts came in to get an Essick puzzle framed she saw Dempsey’s new print, “The Old Place”. On her way out she made a picture of it with her cell phone. Minutes later she returned to the gallery to place an order. “I texted that picture to Jeff and even from that tiny image he loved it. I’m back to order a copy for him and one for our son Tanner.”

Friday, October 19, 2012

I have a “Hummer” story to tell….my mother has always LOVED hummingbirds. She could sit and watch them feed and flit and fly and dive and swoop for hours on end, if time allowed. She had a huge trumpet vine beside her back deck that my stepdad had planted for her (he passed away in ’09) where she could sit and enjoy the birds. Well, Mom passed away on July 23, and my sister and I and our families were overcome with grief at losing someone who had meant the whole world to us, but as we planned her funeral, we tried as much as we could to make it a celebration of her life and the things that she loved. So we ordered a back panel for her coffin that had an embroidered hummingbird on it, and had hummingbirds etched onto her vault, and ordered a grave marker with a hummingbird on it. We knew she would have loved it.

Now, at my house, I always have hummingbirds. I keep feeders out and plant flowers that they like, but my daughter and my sister have never seen hummingbirds, except at Mom’s house. On the morning of the funeral, my daughter opened her front door to leave the house, and a hummingbird hovered at the door for a very long time, and even when she opened the door and went out, it lingered in the yard until she left. It has remained, even though previously there were no flowers or feeders anywhere nearby. (there are now feeders!)

A couple of hours later, as we arrived at the cemetery, the lady who assisted us with the graveside arrangements kept looking at me throughout the service like she REALLY needed to speak to me, and sure enough, as soon as the service was over, she came to me to tell me that just as we got out of our car at the cemetery, two hummingbirds flitted around in the tent, and remained there until we walked up. She said that as the service was going on, she could hear the birds nearby. They hadn’t flown away, they were just waiting…..and sure enough, as everyone left and I was the only one remaining at the graveside, the two birds returned and stayed with me a while, flitting all around.

I personally believe that this was our Lord trying to give us comfort that we needed. And while I have always enjoyed hummingbirds, they now have a new meaning for me.

Visitors to the shop lately included 4th grader Hannah G who was working on her Know Your County Project for Sheets Memorial School. When asked which was her favorite Essick painting, she readily pointed to “The Three Wisemen”. Hannah enjoyed looking for and locating the hidden hummer in the watercolor painting.

Shannon Dickerson, a senior at NDSH, came in to critique Dempsey’s work in preparation to complete an assigned art analysis. Dempsey was delighted to meet Shannon and Grandmother Barbara Etheridge.

Shelley Essick

aka Proud Wife of the Artist

Thank you for visiting!

What's up at Dempsey's Place thesedays? Whether it's an interestingcustomer, a new gift item, or storyabout our fine feathered friends,you can read about it here. Learnmore about Dempsey's art atwww.dempseyessick.com